Pointe Shoes and Brown Eyes
by Sailing in a lavender ship
Summary: Joe realizes how much his daughter has in common with Francoise. Fluffy, but readable. One-Shot.


A/N: Here's some fluff I wanted to post before the school week starts. Read, enjoy, and review!

Joe Shimamura laid spread out on the couch, silently waiting for his wife and young daughter to come home. Outside the moon had already stolen the sun's place in the starless dusk sky above. Through the window, moonlight peaked its way through and bathed the lonesome silhouette in light.

It was not usual for Natalie being out so late – she was, after all, only five years old. But her very first ballet competition was growing nearer as they marked down the days on the calendar. And although she failed to recognize it, Françoise had been constantly drilling their daughter with the air of the professional dance teacher she really was. The Japanese cyborg smiled to him self in the darkness. When ever his two girls he loved more than anything would dance for him, his heart would swell with pride.

But he had to privately admit to him self that with Françoise keeping Natalie this late, he was really starting to miss them. He wasn't fond of going to bed by him self. How could he possibly fall asleep without his beautiful Françoise in his arms?

Around the living room, Joe eyed the photos that were lined up against the walls. Since about seven people lived in there with them, there were many different smiling faces looking down at him. But he paid close attention to the one he took of his new born daughter only five short years ago.

_"Look, Joe! She has your eyes…" _ Françoise told her husband as her held her for the first time. He remembered gazing down at his little girl for the first time. And when she first looked up at him and smiled, he knew she had him around her finger forever.

In the picture, Natalie was fast asleep on her father's chest while Joe was stretched out over the sofa, much like he was at the moment. How old was she when that was taken? She was probably only born a week earlier. Great Britain was actually the mastermind photographer behind it, as Françoise was fast asleep (after much fussing on Joe's part), worn out from her first days of mothering her first child.

His eyes than shifted over to the next photo, another one of his daughter. This time she was clad in a lavender tutu for her first dance recital, her blonde hair twisted up into a tight bun pinned on top of her crown. She was also clutching the roses her uncle Jet had gave her afterwards. In this particular one, Natalie was only about three. _Maybe she will become a beautiful dancer like her mother…_ he thought to him self.

Had it really been five years? They all had seemed to sweep before their very eyes so fast. All of them were right there by Françoise's side after she was born, the room becoming extremely over-crowded. No one would literally leave the baby's sight.

But now their little girl was growing up. And as much as they would all like to post-pone it, they had no ways of preventing the inevitable.

Joe was awaken from his thoughts when he heard the front door swing open, and that said little girl ran into her father's lap.

"Hey, sweet heart! How was dance class?" Natalie's head drooped.

"Tiring…!" Joe chuckled to him self. The beautiful form of his wife walked in, shutting the door her daughter had failed to close behind her and smiled down at her husband.

"Well, you won't regret it in a week from now." She reminded her. "Except when you see me cry."

She moved swiftly to the burnet, planting a kiss on his lips, and picked up their daughter off his lap. Natalie appeared just too worn-out to notice.

"I'm going to get her in bed before she falls asleep on you." Joe beamed back at her.

"Alright."

Only a few minutes passed and the French women made her way back down stairs, resting on the armchair of the loveseat. Joe scooted over to where she sat and wrapped a single, strong arm around her waist. She peered down at him, noticing his gleaming features.

"And just what are you thinking about?" she inquired, grinning at him.

"…Nothing…" he replied. "Just thinking about how much she reminds me of you sometimes. Whether she has my eyes or not."


End file.
